More Mountain Information

You can find basic driving directions from Longmont and Boulder to the Rocky Mountains in this post.

Here's some more details on fun things to do up in the mountains. Feel free, of course, to ask any of Rebecca's Colorado family members for even more information and insider tips. Also, remember that you'll be at a high altitude up in the mountains: pace yourself, drink plenty of water, and take a break if you feel tired or light-headed.

Estes Park is a mountain town near the main entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. Estes Park's downtown has a lot of shops and restaurants and is paralleled by a rushing mountain stream. On a hill just above downtown is the Stanley Hotel, a luxurious old landmark that was the inspiration for the mountain hotel in Stephen King's The Shining.

From the Rocky Mountain National Park entrance near Estes Park, you can drive the amazing Trail Ridge Road, which takes you high above the treeline and across the alpine tundra for spectacular views of the mountains. You can stay in your car all the way to the visitors' center at the very top or you can get out for scenic views and short hikes. If you do nothing else in the National Park, do this -- it's spectacular.

From the Estes Park entrance to the National Park, you can also drive to trailheads for many wonderful hikes. The Pool (easy, about 3 miles round-trip, with an option to hike farther to Fern Lake) and Mills Lake (easy/moderate, about 5 miles round-trip) are two that we always enjoy.

The Wild Basin section of the National Park is farther south of Estes Park and the Park's main entrance. If you're hiking (or fishing!) near Wild Basin, drive down to the nearby village of Allenspark and have breakfast or lunch at the cute Meadow Mountain Cafe, one of our favorite spots.

Unless you're a technical climber with snow experience, it will be too early in the summer to climb to the summit of Longs Peak, the highest mountain in the National Park. From the Longs Peak trailhead, however, the 8.5-mile round-trip hike to Chasm Lake, below the summit of Longs, is worth doing if you don't mind tramping through some snow. You can get updates on the conditions of the Longs Peak and Chasm trails here.

Finally, in the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, a couple lovely trails start at the Brainard Lake Recreation Area (map). The Long Lake / Jean Lunning Trail makes an easy circle (2.8 miles) around Long Lake. Boardwalks and small bridges help you to cross many little streams, and wild flowers are everywhere. The trail to Lake Isabelle starts at the same place but climbs up to a high mountain cirque containing the lake. It's just about 4 miles round-trip and, for such a short hike, is one of the most dramatic in the area: mountain peaks surround the lake and a thundering waterfall cascades out of it.

When you come back to Longmont or Boulder after a long day up in the mountains, be sure to check out our list of local restaurants so that you can replenish your energy!